John Magee has been designing and building native landscapes for nearly 25 years. In this presentation he will walk us through some of his favorite projects and give vivid examples of native plant combinations to wow even the most conservative gardener.

Keynote Speaker:

Native plants are great design materials. Many examples of gardens featuring native plants are ecological bonanzas but they do not conform to traditional landscape design approaches that focus on arrangements driven by color, texture, form. Examples of native plants in garden settings will illustrate four basic approaches to integrating native plant materials into your designs: Substitution, Diversification, Simplification/Abstraction, and Restoration. In the end, whether it’s formal or informal, a garden can have a good proportion of native plant materials that can fit any style.

Speaker:

Known for his unique and sometimes breath taking water features, John will cover several topics in creating your perfect water garden. Design inspiration is covered during the first part of the presentation, followed by the actual design and implementation of the project. Tips are also given to avoid easy mistakes during construction. John has been designing and building water features for the past 25 years

Speaker:

So you’ve chosen a wonderful plant or shrub to enjoy in your garden, worked to find the perfect spot, dug the hole, amended the soil, and planted it but, the next day you come into your garden to see that it has disappeared before your eyes. You see the tell-tale hoof prints of deer in your garden and recognize that you’ve had visitors who enjoyed your planting for dinner – so what do you do?

Attend this program to learn some friendly ideas to develop strategies to combat deer, this sometimes ever-present visitor to your garden. Take home ideas that you can employ in your garden so that you can enjoy a lush and balanced landscape.

Speaker:

Managing or eliminating invasive plant species is not an easy project. It can actually be next to impossible and very discouraging. We will do a quick review to identify our most common plant invaders and then spend time on the chemical and non-chemical options that are available for control.

Note: This session is also available in the Breakout Session 2 options.

Speaker:

Discover the multiple species of butterflies which commonly occur in Pennsylvania and the larval host plants that are essential for each of them. Deb will discuss complete metamorphosis and the habitat elements necessary for each life stage. Learn about the important ecological role which native plants and butterflies play in food webs. Take home informational handouts including a "Butterfly Larval Host Plant List" written by Deb.

Speaker:

From invasive plants to pesticides, as gardeners we all have discussions with people who do not see eye to eye with us – and we should! But how do we create a space for productive conversation? We have to explore the gray areas of the topics. Participants in this session will gain tools they can employ to help turn uncomfortable and unproductive dialogue into meaningful discussion that creates change.

Speaker:

Managing or eliminating invasive plant species is not an easy project. It can actually be next to impossible and very discouraging. We will do a quick review to identify our most common plant invaders and then spend time on the chemical and non-chemical options that are available for control.

Note: This session is also available in the Breakout Session 1 options.

Speaker:

Rain Gardens are gardens that manage storm water beautifully. Native plants and rain gardens combine to reduce runoff from impervious surfaces and transform the runoff into a valuable asset. In this presentation, the basics of evaluating a site for a rain garden and then design tips on approaches to ensure success of placement, design appearance and maintenance will be illustrated through diagrams and in-the-ground projects that feature native plants working and looking good.